<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051005/RAPTORSB05/TPSports/Basketball"><font size="+1">James brings solid two-way game, even keel to Toronto's backcourt</a></font> By ROBERT MACLEOD - BASKETBALL REPORTER for <b>GLOBE and MAIL</b> Wednesday, October 5, 2005 Page S7 ST. CATHARINES, ONT. -- He's played for two of the most respected coaches in the National Basketball Association in Larry Brown and Jeff Van Gundy. And now Mike James, who is considered a solid citizen in the eyes of his new employer, will get the opportunity to ply his trade for Sam Mitchell, the taskmaster beginning his second season with the rebuilding Toronto Raptors. James, 30, was dealt from the Houston Rockets to the Raptors yesterday morning in exchange for another backcourt talent, Rafer Alston. James is expected to check in with the Raptors today as they continue their training camp at Brock University. For the much-travelled James, the Raptors will be his sixth National Basketball Association club since he broke into the league for the 2001-02 season. "What I know about Mike James, he's a combo guard, he's a scorer, he gets up into you, he plays defence," was Toronto forward Jalen Rose's assessment of the new recruit. "And we probably need another scorer." James, who began last season with the Milwaukee Bucks, was traded to the Van Gundy-coached Rockets in February. In 2004-05, the 6-foot-2 James averaged 11.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He shot 44.1 per cent from the floor, including 35.6 per cent from three-point range. After starting the 2003-04 season with the Boston Celtics, James was traded to the Detroit Pistons. He came off the bench for then coach Larry Brown to help the Pistons win the NBA championship. While not as quick or explosive as the darting Alston, James is considered a better defender who has good court vision. "He's 30 years old, he's a veteran, he's got great experience in the league," Toronto general manager Rob Babcock said in describing James's attributes. "He can play both the two guard and the one guard. He's an excellent shooter, with three-point range and he's a solid defender." While Mitchell had his run-ins trying to mould Alston's play last season, he expects James will fit in just fine. "Naturally when you bring in a new guy you got to worry about guys fitting," he said. "But Mike's a good guy, he's a quality guy. He's never had any problem. "I know Larry Brown, I've talked to Larry and Larry thinks the world of him. He hasn't had any problem any place he's played. You're hoping that it improves our chemistry." Over the summer, the Raptors drafted Croatian guard Roko Ukic with their first pick of the second round. Toronto later signed Spanish rookie guard Jose Calderon to a free-agent contract. Although Ukic will continue playing professionally in Europe for at least the next two years, Babcock said with the addition of James he believes the Raptors are in good shape from a backcourt perspective for the future. "I've been talking to Houston off and on through the summer," Babcock said. "We were not actively trying to do something, but we were able to sign Jose and this opportunity arose and after analyzing it and researching we just think it's a good fit for our team, a good deal for our team moving forward." <a href="http://torontosun.com/Sports/Basketball/2005/10/05/1249153-sun.html"><font size="+1">Tough move for James</font></a> By MIKE KOREEN, <b>TORONTO SUN</b> Wed, October 5, 2005 It was not his hometown, but Houston was the next best thing for Mike James. The newly acquired Raptors point guard planted deep roots in Houston before the Rockets traded him to Toronto yesterday. James' wife, Angela, was born in Houston. They purchased a home in Houston this summer, have two daughters, and Mike James was becoming a fixture in the community. When Hurricane Katrina victims started filling the Astrodome, James pulled up with an 18-wheeler and delivered supplies to evacuees. When asked if James, 30, was disappointed with the trade, his agent, Doug Neustadt, said, "I'm not going to comment on that. He's surprised, put it that way." James was poised to become the starting point guard for a promising Rockets team this year as Bob Sura is coming off knee surgery. Instead, James will have to be content starting for a rebuilding Raptors squad. Still, it will be a new challenge for James, who has started just 68 of the 248 games he has played in his NBA career. He was traded to the Rockets by the Detroit Pistons midway through last season after winning an NBA title with the latter team in 2004. The undrafted James also has had stops in Miami and Boston after four combined seasons in Europe and the CBA. Like Alston, James has been criticized for taking too many shots at times. "It's tough for me sometimes," James said earlier this week. "I have a scoring mentality, but I'm a leader and a winner. It's not just about scoring the ball and my teammates looking at me crazy. It's about winning. It's about getting my teammates involved. And then, when all the pressure is on them and they're double- and triple-teaming them, they need somebody to step up." <a href="http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1128462612264&call_pageid=969907729483&col=970081562040"><font size="+1">New Raptor James called `a great guy'</a></font> by JIM BYERS, SPORTS REPORTER for <b>TORONTO STAR</b> Oct. 5, 2005. 01:00 AM <b>Coaches have admired his style and attitude Total opposite of the player he will replace</b> ST. CATHARINES—He grew up in a suburb of New York, watching friends and family members slide into a life of dealing drugs. He and his new wife were paraded through the streets of St. Polten, Austria, in a horse and carriage after they were married during his European playing days. He's played with Tony Parker in France and won a championship ring a couple of years ago with the Detroit Pistons. For a guy who was predicted to go nowhere by just about everyone he knew, life has been full of surprises for Mike James, the 30-year-old point guard who became a sudden Raptor yesterday when he was shunted from Houston for Toronto point man Rafer Alston. James barely scraped up a scholarship at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and didn't get a sniff in the NBA draft, but he's hustled his way to the best basketball league in the world. He's a well-spoken, religious man with a reputation for playing hard-nosed defence. No one was saying it quite that way yesterday, but his reputation is that of a man whose personality is diametrically opposed to Alston. Everywhere he goes, coaches and front-office types from Pat Riley to Danny Ainge to Larry Brown have raved about his style and his attitude. Yet James finds himself still shifting from city to city, playing just well enough to keep his job but not yet finding the security he so desperately craves. After being an All-Atlantic 10 conference player his final year at Duquesne, James moved to Austria in 1998, where he married his girlfriend Angela. The following year he played in France for Chalons and later Slu Nancy. James finally managed to crack the NBA in 2001 when he latched on with Miami. That gig lasted two years before he became a free agent and landed in Boston. That was followed by a trade to Detroit, where he helped the Pistons win an NBA title in 2003-2004. He started last year in Milwaukee but was shipped to Houston near the end of the season. "He's a great guy," new teammate Morris Peterson said of James yesterday. "He's one of the nicest guys I know." <a href="http://torontosun.com/Sports/Basketball/2005/10/05/1249151-sun.html"><font size="+1">Mitchell plays it cool</a></font> By steve Buffery, <b>TORONTO SUN</b> Wed, October 5, 2005 ST. CATHARINES -- The joke at Raptors camp yesterday was that Rob Babcock had to trade Rafer Alston before head coach Sam Mitchell threw the volatile point guard over nearby Niagara Falls. While acknowledging he had his problems with Alston last season, and that he had a say in Alston being traded to the Houston Rockets for Mike James, Mitchell insisted a deal was not made out of spite or worry over Alston's tendency to meltdown. "I'm not going to talk about that, because it doesn't do either of us any good," said Mitchell, who clashed with Alston occasionally last season. "You don't do any deals in the NBA for personal reasons. "I appreciate everything Rafer did for us, I really do. If Rafer would have been here this year, we would have made it work. There are no hidden agendas." Babcock and Mitchell insisted trading Alston is not equivalent to throwing in the towel this season. "You all have written us off after one practice," Mitchell said, adding he has faith that James can fill in for Alston and rookie Charlie Villanueva the same for forward Donyell Marshall. "Don't write us off now," Mitchell said. "Charlie can put the ball in the basket. It will just take a little while to learn, but Charlie's going to be a good scorer. He can shoot the ball with range. He can put it on the floor. He's like a young Donyell, who can do more things." Trading Alston to Houston leaves James as the club's starting point guard and Jose Calderon, an NBA rookie, as the No. 2. The Raps also are hoping veteran guard Alvin Williams, who missed last season after undergoing surgery on his right knee, will be able to play this season. "He hasn't played in two years, so I don't think I should go to my room and start drawing up plays for Alvin Williams," Mitchell said. "(But) we're going to give Alvin every opportunity to prove he can play. "He deserves that much." Williams worked out yesterday, but won't join the team for all-out scrimmages until next week. <a href="http://torontosun.com/Sports/Basketball/2005/10/05/1249155-sun.html"><font size="+1">Sweet talk</a></font> By MIKE KOREEN, <b>TORONTO SUN</b> Wed, October 5, 2005 <b>Players say Alston was a good guy</b> Believe it or not, Jalen Rose thought Rafer Alston was a decent guy. So did the rest of the turmoil-plagued point guard's ex-teammates. The Raptors came to Alston's defence yesterday after he was traded to the Houston Rockets for fellow point guard Mike James. "The biggest misconception is we weren't on the same page," said Rose, who was involved in a memorable verbal sparring match through the media with Alston last season. "I think a lot of times in being a voice and being a leader of a team, if I say something, it's not that I dislike a guy. I dislike an action or a situation. We always got along personally. Last year, we hung out. This summer, we hung out. "We're homeboys." Alston, who was a walking headline for all the wrong reasons last season, came into camp with what appeared to be an improved attitude, and his teammates recognized that. "He was working toward that," Raptors forward Chris Bosh said. "Hopefully, we won't have any issues like that (this season). I'm not saying we would have if Rafer was here. It was going to be good chemistry no matter what, if he was here or not." Veteran point guard Alvin Williams, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, wished Alston well. Williams spoke up about the lack of team chemistry apparent at the end of last season. "It was a little tough for him here at times, but he's a good dude," Williams said. "He's just emotional. He played well for us, but he's moving on and going to a good situation." Bosh is thankful the trade went down when it did. "You have to get familiar with (James)," he said. "You've got to learn his tendencies and he has to do the same. He has to learn a whole other system, where to get the ball, to what guys and the right places. It's going to be a challenge on both parts." Briefly Williams practised yesterday, but did not take part in any full contact drills. He said he felt pretty good, but acknowledged he is not up to speed. "My conditioning is not good at all," a sweat-drenched Williams said. "I'm just going to try to ease back into it." <a href="http://torontosun.com/Sports/Basketball/2005/10/05/1249154-sun.html"><font size="+1">Raps did right thing</a></font> By KEN FIDLIN, <b>TORONTO SUN</b> Wed, October 5, 2005 <b>Give Babcock credit for getting rid of Alston and his volatile temperment</b> ST. CATHARINES -- It isn't that Rafer Alston was a bad guy. Truth be told, most of the other players in the Raptors locker room seem to like him. Even coach Sam Mitchell, who got crossways with Alston more than a few times last season, has only nice things to say now. But Alston is an ex-Raptor today for a reason, and that reason is that he was a load. Nobody could have been looking forward to another season -- let alone five more -- of Alston's emotional volatility, especially on a team that is more than likely to struggle. Over the past 15 months, everybody has been quick to indict general manager Rob Babcock for all the ills that plague his team. Signing Alston may have been one of them but, in recognizing that it was time to cut bait, Babcock should get a pat on the back for being able to pull it off without having to give him away. In return for Alston, they get a well-grounded, defensively savvy veteran, a guy who played on a championship team in Detroit as recently as two years ago. Mike James isn't the second coming of Isiah Thomas. He's not even a true point guard, but he has speed and a sharp eye from three-point range and, by all accounts, he is a level-headed presence in the locker room. More than that, the Raptors will save up to $18 million US over the life of Alston's contract. James is under contract for this year at $3.4 million and next year at $3.7 million. By that time, Babcock is hopeful the team will be in a competitive state, have plenty of cap room and will be in the market for a high-end man to run the point. "This certainly gives us a little bit more flexibility down the road, regarding the cap," Babcock said. Babcock also is hopeful that Jose Calderon, recently signed out of Spain, and Roko Ukic, drafted from Croatia, will develop into NBA-calibre guards. With James, the team's contractual obligations are only two years. They would have been obligated to Alston for five more years. "Our plan is to get a little bit younger and this gives us the flexibility to do that," Babcock said. The plan includes better defence, and James fits quite nicely in that aspect. "Mike James is a quality person and a quality player,' Mitchell said. "He has playoff experience and has played for some good coaches. "He's a tough defender and an excellent three-point shooter, so we're not going to lose anything there. We just felt it was a better fit for our team." As much of a pain as Alston was last season, Mitchell has nothing but positives to say. "We wish Rafer well," he said. "He tried to do everything we asked. It's just part of the business." The elephant in the room throughout all the discussion of what a wonderful person and player Alston is, though, was Alston's emotional volatility. He was an exposed nerve end, and nobody could be certain when he would explode next. A month into the 2004-05 season, after he was benched for taking a technical foul during a game in Boston, Alston threatened to retire, a bizarre statement given he had just signed a six-year, $28-million deal. That was the first red flag Alston was going to be a disruptive force. In January, he was fined by the league for abuse of an official. And later that month, he was suspended by the team for an outburst at practice. He and Mitchell clashed at least one more time before the season, mercifully, was over. On that occasion, he demanded an apology but didn't get one. At the dawn of training camp, all seemed sweetness and light in Raptorland. Even Mitchell and Alston seemed to have agreed that what happened last season was simply water under the bridge. Perhaps part of that understanding attitude, at least on Mitchell's part, was founded upon the knowledge that a deal was close which would remove the irritant from his locker room. All in all, it was a good day in Raptorland, and there have been too few of those lately. <a href="http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1128462612260&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064&t=TS_Home"><font size="+1">Babcock corrects a big mistake</a></font> by DAVE FESCHUK, <b>TORONTO STAR</b> Oct. 5, 2005. 01:00 AM ST. CATHARINES—Finishing up a cellphone call outside Raptors training camp yesterday, Rob Babcock, the club's general manager, approached a couple of arriving newspaper hacks with an incredulous look on his face. "Too late," said Babcock, chuckling. "Everybody's gone." It was the first day of training camp, only 2 1/2 hours into a practice session that was scheduled to go 3 1/2 hours, so Babcock's false alarm didn't scare the paranoid. But we'd find out soon why the general manager was unusually giddy in his mid-morning greetings. Everyone wasn't gone, but Rafer Alston suddenly was. The bane of Babcock's existence, one of the biggest mistakes of the GM's young executive career, Alston had been traded to the Houston Rockets for journeyman guard Mike James. In correcting the error that was the New York streetball legend's 2004 signing — in unloading the five remaining seasons on Alston's deal in return for the two remaining on James's — Babcock took a step in the right direction, even if it was a backtrack. It was addition by subtraction, progression by regression. After a Rafael Araujo draft that soiled his reputation and a Vince Carter trade that bloodied it, yesterday's transaction was the first proof that Babcock isn't completely incompetent. But let's not get zealous. James isn't Magic Johnson and Babcock's club is no closer to escaping its multi-year lease on one of the NBA's ugliest basement apartments. The Raptors, who erroneously thought they could keep Alston honest without a backcourt rival to compete for playing time, still don't have a healthy starting point guard, unless you count Jalen Rose. Alvin Williams, the last player who fit that bill at the Air Canada Centre and still recuperating from catastrophic leg injuries that sidelined him all of last season, couldn't make it through the entirety of yesterday's 3 1/2-hour practice. Now James, Euro-rookie Jose Calderon and one of Robert Pack, Corey Williams and Tierre Brown will vie for playing time this season — and no one among that group resembles a reasonable facsimile of a young Steve Nash or an old John Stockton or even a budding Damon Stoudamire. "I see inexperience," Rose said. He sees it right and his analysis only confirms Babcock's pre-season conceit that things will get worse before they reverse. James has some experience — he's with his sixth team in his fourth full season — but his pre-NBA travails in basketball's bush leagues means he's an old young guy. He's 30, an age when a lot of energy players — and he is, without a doubt, an off-the-bench sparkplug — start to lose the step that's their raison d'être. But James is a better and more selective shooter than Alston, who will probably never accept his limitations as a long-range bomber. And James did start 55 games at the point for a Celtics team that won 36 games a few years back. So there's no denying he can run a bad team, which is the specific job here. And then there's defence. Opposing point guards could always bank on a big night against the Raptors — one Raptor, in eulogizing Alston's tenure, recalled Tyronn Lue's hanging of 29 points on the laconic Skip to My Lou. "Mike James is a better defender (than Alston)," said Sam Mitchell, the coach, "so that right there gives us a chance." But let's not get too excited here. The better move would have been to get a proven platoon-mate to keep the streetball legend in check. Alston has the potential to be a great contributor to the Rockets because he knows he'll get the hook if he pulls his tit-for-tat, shoot-over-pass hogwash under Jeff Van Gundy's watch. And he knows the Rockets have Bob Sura, when he's healthy, to take the majority of minutes. It wasn't destined to work here, though, partly because Mitchell's mouth is too big to tolerate another chatterbox in the same municipality. The fact Calderon speaks English like Sammy Sosa under oath gives him a leg up on getting playing time. It also means every Raptor with a stat line to care for fired up his handheld yesterday and typed in a single phrase into an Internet translator. According to this computer, "Give me the freakin' ball!" is "Déme la freakin' bola!" in Spanish. Now that Skip's skipped town, somebody might actually be listening. <a href="http://torontosun.com/Sports/Basketball/2005/10/05/1249152-sun.html"><font size="+1">Alston is gone</a></font> By STEVE BUFFERY, <b>TORONTO SUN</b> Wed, October 5, 2005 ST. CATHARINES -- Raptors training camp opened with a bang yesterday, as general manager Rob Babcock pulled the trigger on a major trade in shipping the volatile Rafer Alston to Houston. Alston, who was Toronto's starting point guard last season, has tremendous talent, but also has been known to suffer the occasional emotional meltdown, as when he threatened to quit last year after an early season loss in Boston. However, Babcock insisted yesterday the trade to the Houston Rockets for guard Mike James was orchestrated not out of concern over Alston's volatility, but to add some defence to a squad that finished sixth from the bottom in points-against per game last season (101.4). Alston, reached by Rogers Sportsnet, took the trade in stride, but was sad about leaving Toronto. "I love being in Toronto," he said. "Fabulous fans, fabulous city. It reminds me of New York. (But) now I'm a Rocket and I have to be prepared for that test and that battle (down) there. "I had no clue (when asked about the trade). I got up early (yesterday), excited, at 6:30. Practice didn't start until 9. I was in the gym by 8. Out of nowhere this came about." James also gives Babcock more flexibility in terms of salary cap. Alston is entering the second year of a six-year deal which will pay him $23 million US during the next five seasons. James only has two years left on a contract that will pay him $3.4 million this season and $3.7 million next. PLANNING AHEAD "Rafer's attitude has been terrific," said Babcock, who informed Alston of the trade just prior to the start of practice yesterday. "We feel this is a basketball trade that addresses our needs for the future and our plan of moving forward." Babcock also is sending out the message he expects European point guards Jose Calderon, new to the Raptors this season, and 2005 second-round draft pick Roko Ukic, who will play for Tau Ceramica in the Spanish Elite league this year, to be the team's top point guards for the 2007-08 season after James' contract expires. "We have a lot of faith in them," Babcock said. "We're building for the future of this team and we think it's a very bright future." As for James, the 30-year-old will get a chance to become a starting point guard in the NBA for the first time in his career. The 6-foot-2, 188-pound veteran owns NBA career averages of 9.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 23.8 minutes in 248 games, splitting time with Miami, Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee and Houston. During the 2004-05 campaign, he averaged 11.8 points and 3.6 assists. He also shot 37% from three-point range. The Raps lost two of its best three-point shooters in Donyell Marshall and Lamond Murray this season. Alston played 80 games for Toronto last season, averaging 14.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.48 steals.
Positive Spin for Toronto: Got rid of a volatile player with a larger contract for a decent fill-in with a short contract. Positive Spin for Houston: Upgraded in terms of talent.
<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20051005/RAPTORS05/TPSports/Basketball"><font size="+1">Alston shipped off to Houston</a></font> By ROBERT MACLEOD, Basketball Reporter - <b>GLOBEandMAIL</b> Wednesday, October 5, 2005 <b>Guard's turbulent season not major factor in move, general manager and coach say</b> ST. CATHARINES, ONT. -- His final moments as a member of the Toronto Raptors were spent pedalling a stationary bicycle on the sidelines as the rest of his teammates were on the court during the opening day of the team's National Basketball Association training camp. Somehow, it is a fitting final recollection of Rafer Alston, the emotional starting point guard who was felt by many to be spinning his wheels with an organization that desperately wanted to see him gone. Yesterday morning, as the Raptors gathered for the first time this season on the court for practice at Brock University, general manager Rob Babcock trumpeted the news -- the 29-year-old Alston, who just over a year ago was being hailed as Toronto's point guard of the future, had been dealt to the Houston Rockets for journeyman guard Mike James. "Twelve years, nothing surprises me," veteran Toronto forward Jalen Rose said when asked if he was shocked by the unexpected turn of events. "I got traded going to shoot-around one day on the day of the game, gone to Chicago and played that night, without taking a physical, without meeting the team. "So nothing surprises me in this league." In one deft move, Babcock rid himself of a problem that was his own making, shipping off a player whose presence in the Raptors locker room last season was a persistent annoyance for rookie head coach Sam Mitchell. Babcock also saved the organization millions of dollars in the process. While James has only two more years and $7.1-million (all figures U.S.) left on his contract, Alston has five more on his lucrative six-year, $27-million pact. The savings to Toronto over the final three years of Alston's deal amounts to about $14.6-million. James, who is to earn $3.4-million this year and $3.7-million the next, has an opt-out clause in his contract after this season. If he chooses to walk away from Toronto after one year, the savings to the Raptors would be even greater. "What we're really doing, we feel this is a basketball trade that addresses our needs for the future and our plan for moving forward," an effusive Babcock told reporters. Alston was not around to answer questions by the time reporters were allowed into yesterday's practice. He was gone, making plans to get to Houston. "Obviously he's leaving with mixed feelings," said Jeff Nadel, Alston's Los Angeles-based agent who said he had spoken to the player shortly after the trade was made. "He loved playing in Toronto, loved his teammates. But obviously he also believes this is a great opportunity for him as a player. His words to me were, 'This is a mixed blessing.' " Nadel said he did not believe Alston is in any way upset with how he was treated in Toronto. "It wasn't the perfect situation for him but . . . the fans were so incredibly supportive in Toronto that that's kind of what he's taking away from there," Nadel said. "He really felt like he had a home there. The fans always embraced him. "Obviously it would have been nicer if it were a smoother transition for him, but it wasn't. But he's a professional. He was ready to give it all for his team this year. Now he's got another team to work for and that's what he's going to do." The signing of Alston, a free agent who was coming off a solid year with the Miami Heat, was Babcock's first big move after he took control of the Raptors last June. But the move never really panned out as Alston, in his first starting NBA role, failed to live up to expectations and his dubious decision-making on offence did not earn him many converts in the Toronto locker room, Mitchell in particular. Alston's number's were decent -- 14.2 points, 6.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds a game -- but the Queen's, N.Y., native appeared to wilt trying to cope with the daily pressure of being the starting point guard on a bad team that struggled to a 33-49 regular-season record. He was at loggerheads all season with Mitchell. The temperamental Alston threatened to quit the team and the NBA on Dec. 3 after a game in Boston against the Celtics. He was later suspended for two games for conduct detrimental to the club after he stalked out of a practice in anger. About a week after rejoining the team, Alston had to be escorted by security guards to the team bus after a blowup with Mitchell during halftime of a game in Cleveland. Publicly, both Babcock and Mitchell said last year's outbursts had nothing to do with the decision to move the point guard. "Things didn't go as well as we would have hoped last year," Babcock said, as close as he would come to admitting the Alston signing was a mistake in the first place. "But I was very optimistic that that would be turned around based on all of our discussions and the way things were going with our workouts and so forth. "So, no. This is just a matter of the plan changed a little bit when you evaluate the whole year." Privately, others in the Toronto organization are saying the trading of Alston was inevitable. "Rafer can play real well, but you just don't know which Rafer is going to show up," said one. "Everything seems fine right now, but history tells us that with him, you never know." Mitchell, who was consulted by Babcock before the general manager completed the deal with Houston late Monday night, bristled at the suggestion that his uneasy relationship last season with Alston was a major factor behind the trade. "Nope," Mitchell said. "We're moving forward. We appreciate everything Rafer did for us. He worked hard, he's a good guy, we wish him well. But we're in the business of trying to do things that's going to help us improve as a team. "And Mike James is a quality person, a quality player. He's got playoff experience. He's played for some good coaches and we're looking forward to bringing him in."
<a href="http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1128462612256&call_pageid=969907729483&col=970081562040"><font size="+1">Raptors find the solution to Rafer madness</a></font> DOUG SMITH, SPORTS REPORTER for <b>TORONTO STAR</b> Oct. 5, 2005. 01:00 AM <b>Mercurial guard dealt to Houston Well-regarded James T.O.-bound</b> ST. CATHARINES—A calm descended on the Raptors yesterday, even as bedlam was breaking out. The sudden trade of point guard Rafer Alston, after a single season of mutinous clashes with teammates and coaches, might have created an astonishing buzz on the opening day of training camp, but the long-term calming effect it will have will be welcomed by all connected with the team. In moving Alston, 29, to the Houston Rockets for well-travelled veteran guard Mike James, general manager Rob Babcock not only eased long-term financial burdens and cleared the way for a new wave of point guard, he also removed the possibility of season-ruining flareups between Alston, coach Sam Mitchell and the rest of the team. Stopping short of admitting that signing the mercurial Alston to a six-year contract was a mistake, Babcock said hindsight played a role in yesterday's deal. "You have to take that whole year and evaluate things and when you do that, you have to be willing to tweak and readjust things," he said. "And we felt this is an adjustment that's going to help our team in the future." James, 30, will be joining his sixth NBA team after stops in Houston, Milwaukee, Detroit, Boston and Miami. The 6-foot-2 veteran is known as a solid citizen and a good teammate; he is renowned for his defensive abilities and has averaged 9.2 points and 3.5 assists in 248 regular-season games. But, more important, he's not Alston, who last season threatened to quit after a clash with Mitchell in December, was suspended for two games a bit later after storming out of practice in a snit, had to be escorted from Cleveland's arena by security guards after a locker-room confrontation and was in an open feud with Jalen Rose late in the season. Mitchell refused to admit he'd won a battle of wills. "We're in the business of trying to do things to help us improve as a team," the coach said. "Mike James is a positive person, a positive player, he's got some playoff experience, he's played for some good coaches. We look forward to bringing him in." The long-term financial ramifications of the trade are significant. James has this season and next left on his contract and will make about $900,000 (all figures U.S.) less than Alston over that time. And when James's contract is up, Alston's will have three years (only two of which are fully guaranteed) left at more than $13 million in total. That, combined with the contracts of Rose and Morris Peterson, who both are done after the 2006-07 season, will save Babcock big money at a time when he'll have to re-sign Chris Bosh and sign guard Roko Ukic. "Rafer would have still been a good fit for our team but we feel this is a better fit and it certainly gives us more flexibility down the road regarding the cap," the GM said. Who will fill Alston's role on the court is another matter. Despite his clashes, he did average career highs in points (14.2) and assists (6.4, 11th in the NBA) with Toronto last season and was an integral part of the offence, even if he tried to dominate it to the detriment of his teammates. Mitchell is unable to say who the team's starting point guard might be, but with only the unproven rookie Jose Calderon and a trio of training camp invitees able to handle the job, it would seem to be James's to lose. "I just think with this trade, it's going to open up things as far as the position of point guard goes," he said. "It's wide open; what we're trying to do is better our basketball team." None of Alston's former Raptor teammates did anything but wish him well after he left. "He's a good dude, he's just emotional," Alvin Williams said. Bosh, admitting it would take some time to adjust to a new point guard, said he had expected to see a change in Alston. "Skip always had the great intentions; sometimes they tended to not come out right and he was working on that," Bosh said. "They made a move what they think is best for the team." Mitchell said easing a new point guard into the system won't be difficult, given James's nature. "It's natural when you bring in a new guy you've got to worry about guys fitting in but Mike's a good guy," Mitchell said. "He's never had any problems. I know Larry Brown (who coached James in Detroit); Larry thinks the world of him. He hasn't had any problems anywhere he's played. "We hope it improves our chemistry."
Am I the only one who is sick and tired of reading 8, count them 8, articles concerning this from the Raptor's perspective and only 1 measly article from our very own hometown Houston Chronicle. I understand what some of you might say: (Well the Astros are the big story right now.) I agree, their season is amazing and once again this city is swept up in MLB playoff feaver. They deserve the spotlight right now, however the amount of media attention given to a Rockets trade for a STARTING POINT GUARD in my opinion is a disgrace. or (Toronto doesn't have as many sports teams to cover as we do in Houston) I agree on this as well, however our aging backcourt was a huge issue about the Rockets ability to compete as a contender and the news of us acquiring a starter at our weakest area should be worth at least an extra John Lopez Blog don't you think? It did not even get a sniff of the cover page. There was no photo in the article online either. I guess I am just frustrated that a Rockets freak like myself has to go to another Country's newspaper to get some in depth analysis and opinions about a pretty darn big trade that my hometown paper takes so lightly. P.S. I am out of the country so I was only able to read the Chronicle online therefore if there is anything extra printed about this trade int he physical paper I am oblivious to it.
Yeah, Skip quit on the Raptors, but so did Vince Carter. And does anyone think that NJ isn't thrilled to have him? I'm not saying that it was right for either of them to quit, but at the same time, I understand. It's one thing to ask a young rookie (like Chris Bosh) to bring energy to a losing team, but it's harder to get vets like Skip, Vince, and T-Mac on board when they know that they're locked into a hopeless situation long term. You can say that they're paid to play and so they should just play without any fuss, but that's wrong. These guys are paid to WIN, and if the front office is a joke, they know it won't matter how hard they play, so they dog it in hopes of getting to a better situation. So Skip was a headache in Toronto. It is cause for concern, but I'd be more worried if he was happy playing for a loser.
It should not matter if your happy or not. If your professional you prepare to play every game.. or teams should be able to pay accordingly. If VC decided to give it 80% maybe then the Raps had to pay him 80% of his salary .. I dont like the idea of an employee no matter how important buck the system. J
Anytime I see someone refer to a PG as a "combo" guard that first thing that pops in my head is "shoot first PG". So James is, indeed, a "combo" guard.
Well, first they are from 3 different news organizations so immediately they will have 3 times the articles the Chronicle has. Second, Alston caused various furor is Toronto and was a heralded free agent signing pripr to last season. It is a much bigger deal that he was traded then James. Third, there is a lot of the same in each of the articles and they are repititious.
These are the perfect excuses for a city whose people don't give a hoot about their professional basketball franchise. Toronto is the worst team in basketball, Rockets are elite all-world talent. I've read 11 articles in Toronto papers about the trade (the same day that HOCKEY, I said HOCKEY as in National Sport Hockey starts. You can have 50 more excuses, bottomline the only way the Rockets will get noticed in Houston is if Houstonians turn on the TV in June and see that a basketball team from Houston is actually playing basketball.
It's not an excuse that Toronto has 3 times more papers than Houston. That's a fact. Due to that fact, there will almost always be 3 times as many articles than the Houston paper. Do you really need 11 articles about the trade? Can't one or two sum it up? None of the articles posted here provided any more interssting insight than the Chronicle article. We get it. Alston was traded for James. James is upset to leave Houston but going to do his best in Toronto. Alston has a reputation that's not necessarily deserved. Dawson and Van Gundy did their homework. The trade would not have been made if Sura was healthy......why does anyone need to read and reread the same stuff?
Do you think that James being upset to leave Houston and go to the one of the worst franchises is more compelling than Rafer Alston (AND 1 Rafer Alston, "temperemental" Rafer Alston) being added to a championship team? Forget the papers. How much analytical coverage was there on Houston talk radio about the trade? They barely mentioned it. The fact that James going to Toronto isn't a big deal yet they still wrote 11 articles, shows the level of involvement of the Toronto media and the community in their pathetic professional basketball franchise.
Have you ever seen Jonathon Feigen write a Rockets article during the summer unless there was a trade or the NBA draft? Ever?
What else is he supposed to write about?? "What I did this summer, by Jonathan Feigen" "This summer, I went fishing, hunting, and got to go to a few baseball games. I still think Yao is going to be great, and Tracy will have a MVP type year. I'm gonna go drink lemonade now.. its hot outside" Seriously... if you want to read something, just take a look at the 15 page thread on the trade in here. I guarantee you you'll see more analysis and better opinions on the situation than that from Lopez, Feigen, or any other houston journalist.
Are you saying that just because it's the offseason, nothing worthwhile happens? Nothing at all? No injury updates on Yao or Juwan Howard? No insight to Luther's Head's progression? No positional analysis, NBA updates, or free agent pickups? There is Texans talk year round. A little Rockets coverage is hardly asking too much. Ridiculous.
With the move of Derek Anderson and David Wesley still remaining on the roster, I'm less concerned about Alston's defense. First of all, under Van Gundy, his defense will be better. Secondly, if we are getting lit up by somebody because they are going by him, Van Gundy will just bring in either Derek or David, whichever one is sitting the bench at that given time. I don't think defense is going to be a problem. It wasn't last year and we added Stromile to what we already had. Subtracting James and adding Derek and Rafer doesn't cause us to lose any D. We will be better defensively and offensively from last year.
Most of that other stuff is known way before (and in more detail) on this very BBS. There is a lot of Texans talk because you have the draft, then training camp (which starts in the middle of the summer), then a 4 1/2 week pre-season, and then the season itself. You also have a helluva lot more players to cover, and thus, there are more potential stories. Out of all the stuff you mentioned, only perhaps Yao's progress is worth writing an entire story over. Also, a newspaper doesn't go on and on "speculating" possible deals... they report on what is going to happen definitely, or what has already happened. Maybe a columnist could do the prognosticating... but how would you feel if during the Rockets stretch-drive for the playoffs, you were exposed to an article talking about Jason Lane and Willy Taveras' off-season progression, or Roy Oswalt's and Roger Clemens' training regimens... it just wouldn't fit.
Yes, it would fit. It's a different sport. I wouldn't mind being exposed to a story about Taveras in June, because I would just avoid it, but there's other people who would be interested. (baseball fans). As a matter of fact, I have seen plenty of Astros stories, during the Rox season. The reverse is true. Just because it's the baseball playoffs, it doesn't mean that when I pick up the sports section, I have to read about the Astros. The most famous franchise in America (the Yankees) are in the playoffs, yet the New York media has tremendous coverage on the Knicks. I am not blaming the Chronicle. All I am saying is they cater to their reader, and the average reader barely even knows that there is a professional basketball team in town, a championship team at that. (OK, I am exaggerating, but it's not too far from the truth). The Rockets in Houston are the equivalent of a foster child.
